12 things I love about living on the road

Choosing to live on the road full-time is not a conventional choice by any means, but for some people, it feels more natural to have the freedom to roam rather than be rooted in a singular place.  That has definitely proven to be the case for Mark and me.  We’ve been living on the road for over five years now and can’t imagine returning to a solid foundation.  Every now and then, little things sound nice like more room to cook or more indoor space to spread out when the weather is bad; however, all the things we love about our nomadic lifestyle far outweigh any of the fleeting cons.  In this post, I’d love to share all the reasons why we love living in a tiny house with wheels.

Financial freedom

Living on the road full-time allowed us to accelerate our goal of being debt-free.  Subsequently, living without any debt has allowed us the freedom to work less and travel more.  Further, not having the space to acquire material items keeps our spending down.  The overall low cost of living has reduced the stress in our lives and freed up more time to simply enjoy life.

It’s worth mentioning, however, that full-time RV living can get expensive; it all depends on how you go about it.  Check out the post below to dive deeper into this topic.

A-Z Guide to Full-time RV Living: Expenses

Flexibility & Spontaneity 

It’s easy to plan ahead as much or as little as we want to.  We can move locations as often as we like and go as far as we like, depending on our wants and needs.  We can camp deep in the wilderness if we’re seeking solitude or in a friend’s driveway if we’re craving community.  It’s easy to change things up, and it’s easy to take advantage of unexpected opportunities that come our way.

I will point out, however, that the ease of moving around fluctuates depending on the size of the rig.  Small RVs are more conducive to frequent movement without being too logistically challenging.

An all-access pass to the great outdoors

I love being outside, especially in undeveloped places.  It has always been extremely beneficial to both my physical and mental health.  I have never felt the need to live close to shops, dining, and entertainment.  Instead, I live in places where I have the ability to walk, hike, bike, swim, or simply meander in a wild place every time I step out my door.  For a semi-adventurous introvert like myself, I find the therapeutic benefits of living in nature to be unmatched.  

Connection with the natural world

This goes hand in hand with spending more time in nature.  Because of the amount of time I spend outside, I’m more tuned in to nature’s rhythms.  I’m always aware of what phase the moon is in, I know the makings of a great sunset, I notice each day getting longer after the winter solstice and shorter after the summer solstice, I’m fascinated by tides and love the way terrain and ecosystems change when going up or down in elevation.  Nature is incredible and the more I pay attention, the more I see and learn.

The ability to follow the weather

While I thrive on being outdoors, I hate being cold.  Admittedly, I also don’t particularly love being really hot.  If I had to single out one reason I absolutely love living on the road, it’s because it gives me the ability to live perpetually in 70-80 degrees and sunshine.  Seasonal Affective Disorder used to put a damper on nearly half of my year because I lived high in the Colorado Rockies where winter dragged on for far too long.  Now I chase the sun to Arizona and Mexico every year and have a genuine love of winter.  If the weather is unpleasant, we simply pack up and move.

Appreciation for the little things

I don’t mind living with less space, less stuff, and less amenities because living in a tiny home-on-wheels is what makes all the things mentioned in this post possible, and I find the trade-off to be entirely worth it.  Learning to live with less in turn cultivates gratitude for the little things.  Because we choose to spend our time in off-grid locations without easy access to water, electricity, trash receptacles, and sewage disposal, we have to closely manage our usage of resources and creation of waste.  When we do stay at a campground or a friend or family member’s house, I find endless delight in things such as unlimited running water.  I love how this lifestyle recalibrates my appreciation for life’s little treasures that we so easily take for granted.

Frequent new experiences

For better or worse, Mark and I both get bored easily.  Living in the same house, day after day, year after year, caused us a great deal of discontent.  I always felt restless.  A vacation or weekend away didn’t come close to quenching our thirst for change; it only stoked the flame.  Living on the road fosters the opportunity for new experiences as often as you want to have them.  You can move around and see new things every day, every week, or every month, whatever suits you.  

Less possessions equals less stress

We live in a world where the acquisition of more is touted.  The newer the car and the bigger the house equals feeling as though we’ve “made it”.  On the outside, these things exude success.  However, we tend to not acknowledge the level of stress we carry to keep the earning, spending, acquiring machine going.  With everything we own (no matter how big or small), it comes with a cost (whether it be a monetary or energetic cost) to buy it, maintain it, store it, repair it, insure it, etc.  I never really noticed this until downsizing my life.  It is incredibly freeing to have less stuff.  It has cleared space in my mind that I didn’t realize was occupied by the aforementioned energetic and emotional cost of trying to keep up with my neighbors and peers.

A-Z Guide to full-time RV living: Downsizing

Meeting like-minded people

I used to think that constantly moving around might be a lonely experience, but I’ve forged some of the best friendships of my life with fellow travelers.  When you meet another person who has chosen to forgo living traditionally, you immediately have something unique in common.  It’s easy to strike up a conversation with a fellow nomad, and oftentimes we find that our rootless way of life is one of many commonalities between us.

A-Z Guide to Full-time RV living: Community & Companionship

Having our home with us wherever we go

Traveling in an RV means always having your house and all your creature comforts with you, which, quite frankly, is pretty awesome.  Want to visit friends & family but have your own space to go home to?  No problem, your house is in the driveway.  Hungry after a long hike?  Make lunch at the trailhead.  Feeling tired during a long drive?  Pull over and take a nap in your own bed.  Do you love hiking or mountain biking or (insert favorite outdoor hobby here)?  Take your house to your favorite outdoor location, set up camp, do all the recreating your heart desires, and have your house right there with you for as long as you want to stay.  

The best part?  No matter where you are, it feels like home.

The opportunity to become more adaptable

When living in a fixed location over a long period of time, you get used to things being a certain way.  While it’s true that the only constant is change, a stationery life can fool us into thinking that some things are guaranteed.  But when living on the road, things are always changing.  Expectations go out the window, and you learn to adapt. It’s empowering to know that as the years trudge on and the world continues to shift and change around us, we’ll have the ability to accept it and adapt because the road has shown us how.

Peace of mind

When living in a house, I felt like I was doing what I was “supposed” to.  Choosing not to have kids was the first time I felt the pushback of not doing what was expected of me, but I knew in my heart of hearts that that was the right choice for me, and so I never wavered.  Moving on to the road has been similar.  It might be a non-conforming way to live, but it’s the choice that is most true to who I am.  By living this way, I feel like I’m right where I’m supposed to be in life, and with that comes a lot of peace of mind.